Thai police arrest first protest leader

A Thai farmer carries bales of rice as he protests against the government's repeatedly delayed payments for rice submitted to the pledging scheme at the Government's temporary office in the permanent secretary for defence suburb of Bangkok yesterday. Thailand's embattled government defended a much-criticised rice subsidy scheme after a Chinese firm cancelled a one million tonne order for stockpiled grain, following a graft probe into Thai officials. Photo: AFP

Thai police yesterday arrested an anti-government protest leader, their first such move after months of defiant rallies in Bangkok aimed at ousting Yingluck Shinawatra's beleaguered government.
Protest leaders have flouted arrest warrants and an emergency decree to deliver caustic daily speeches, lead marches, block roads and occupy government buildings in their bid to topple Yingluck's government.
Sontiyan Cheunruethainaitham was arrested yesterday morning at a hotel in Bangkok, according to the head of the Department of Special Investigation Tarit Pengdith.
"He was the first arrest for defying the state of emergency," he told AFP.
Authorities have repeatedly stated their reluctance to arrest protest leaders. They fear it could spark clashes with the crowd who are occupying key intersections in Bangkok for the fifth week of a self-styled "shutdown" -- albeit in diminishing numbers.
Throughout the three months of protests police have adopted defensive tactics, a move which analysts say is intended to avoid violence and the possibility of provoking a military coup.
Dozens of arrest warrants have been issued against leaders of the anti-government movement, who want to topple Yingluck and curb the influence of her divisive billionaire brother Thaksin on Thai politics.